To celebrate the Independence Day of Malta, we’re taking a look at the winner of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2015 and Malta’s Eurovision 2020 artist: Destiny Chukunyere!
Before Junior Eurovision
In 2014, Destiny took part in the junior edition of “Festival Kanzunetta Indipendenza” (“Independence Song Contest”), where she came third with the song ‘Festa t’llwien’.
That same year, she won the “Asterisks Music Festival”, an annual children’s singing competition held in Prilep in North Macedonia.
Destiny also took part in SanRemo Junior in Italy the same year.
Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2015
On 11 July, 2015, Destiny took part in the Malta Junior Eurovision Song Contest, where she sang Aretha Franklin’s ‘Think’. She beat out nineteen other competitors to win the competition. With the internally selected song ‘Not My Soul’, Destiny took off to Sofia in Bulgaria in November.
Destiny received the full twelve points from seven competing countries, including Australia and host nation Bulgaria, and also received the twelve points of the Kids Jury. At the end of the voting, Malta had received 185 points, creating a new record number of points at the time.
Her winning entry has been viewed almost a million times on YouTube.
The next month, Destiny received the MQR, a medal of the Republic of Malta.
Britain’s Got Talent
In 2017, Destiny took part in ITV’s reality series “Britain’s Got Talent”. She auditioned for the show with Aretha Franklin’s ‘Think’, and received four yes’s to go through to the semifinals.
Destiny received praise from internationally renowned tenor Joseph Calleja, and from Simon Cowell. After her audition, Cowell told the other judges that he had been waiting for someone with star potential to come out, and that Destiny could be the one.
Unfortunately, she did not qualify from the semifinal, placing sixth.
Eurovision Song Contest 2019
Destiny made an appearance at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2019 in Tel Aviv, where she was a backing singer for Maltese entrant Michela Pace’s song ‘Chameleon’. ‘Chameleon’ came 14th in the grand final.
X Factor Malta & Eurovision Song Contest 2020
In 2019, it was revealed that Destiny would be taking part in the second season of “X Factor Malta”, which was being used as the national final artist selection for the country. She was mentored by Eurovision star Ira Losco, and eventually won the competition.
With the internally selected song “All of My Love”, Destiny was due to compete at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2020 in Rotterdam before the contest was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Eurovision 2021
On 16 May, 2020, Maltese public broadcaster PBS announced that Destiny would be given the right to represent Malta at the Eurovision Song Contest 2021 in Rotterdam with a new song.
Aged only 18, Destiny has already achieved so much in her short musical career. With the 2021 Contest on the horizon we can only imagine much more success of her is to come.